Ask any purveyor of classic rock what they think is the best album ever released by a band in the 1960s and most will tell you it’s The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd. The cover art also became iconic, which is why Pro-Ject Audio Systems’ latest turntable pays homage to it in the most stunning fashion.
To give you an overview, the design shows a prism set against a black backdrop. Then there’s this beam of light that enters from the left and comes out as the various colors of the rainbow. Instead of giving it a fancy model number for the name, they’re opting for something simple yet distinctive.
A while back, Pro-Ject Audio Systems also partnered with another legendary group. The Metallica Limited Edition turntable also managed to capture the “Ninja Star” emblem used by the heavy metal act in their latter releases. Meanwhile, The Dark Side of the Moon Special Edition is an instant conversation piece.
It starts with a 28 mm thick plinth made from medium-density fiberboard (MDF) in which a carefully tuned AC motor is embedded. Next is a bronze bushing with a heavy aluminum sub-platter. A flat silicone belt then completes the belt-drive connection. To keep everything below visible, we have a 10 mm heavy glass platter.
A metal component sticks out to the left of the delta-shaped base, while the tonearm is mounted to an LED-backlit rainbow on the right. The manufacturer confirms the illumination is dimmable. The tonearm is acrylic with black aluminum hardware and a Pick it PRO Special Edition cartridge to matche the theme of The Dark Side of the Moon Special Edition turntable.
Pro-Ject Audio Systems writes, “Not only the music of the album ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ is truly iconic, also the artwork itself. It shows an enigmatic prism which reflects beams of light into space. A magical and mystical theme which illustrates the band‘s complex sound world.”
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Images courtesy of Pro-Ject Audio Systems
